Fly-by-wireless set for take-off

By Duncan Graham-Rowe

Lighter weight, less fuel

SHEDDING pounds isn’t just a preoccupation of dieters, it is a prime concern for aircraft builders too. In a bid to cut weight to the minimum they are considering the controversial move of getting rid of the huge quantity of copper wiring used in modern planes and replacing it with a series of wireless networks.

Users of Wi-Fi may be forgiven for wondering if this is wise. Reliability is not one of the defining characteristics of existing wireless networks, so employing them to operate a plane’s flight systems might seem a little risky. But if they can be made robust, such “fly-by-wireless” networks have the potential to improve reliability and possibly even make flying a little less environmentally damaging.

Though fly-by-wireless is the ultimate aim, the first step along the way is likely to be the introduction of wireless sensors. Aircraft are already fitted with numerous sensors that provide information about the plane’s performance, such as how efficiently engines are operating. Data from the sensors can also be recorded and used to alert maintenance crews on the ground to any abnormal events.

The principal motivation for getting rid of the copper cabling that is now used to collect data from these monitors comes down to weight, “which on aircraft comes at a premium”, says Mark Begbie, director of the Institute for System Level Integration, a collaboration of engineers at UK universities in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Lancaster.

As the complexity of aircraft and their engines has grown, so too has the amount of wiring needed to monitor, maintain and control them. The trend is towards increasing the ...

To continue reading this premium article, subscribe for unlimited access.